Protest planned at Moray Coast Medical Practice in Lossiemouth over shut village surgeries in Burghead and Hopeman
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The Save our Surgeries group says it will take its grievances to the Moray Coast Medical Practice in Lossiemouth next Tuesday.
Members are planning a protest, claiming the health centre's managers are refusing to meet them to discus ways of reopening its branch clinics in Burghead and Hopeman.
However health bosses have responded that the issue has been discussed at length and neither building is up to modern-day standards.
Both branch clinics closed in March 2020 due to the pandemic, but did not reopen when restrictions ended.
Save our Surgeries member Liz McKnockiter from Burghead said: "We’re going to the practice on Tuesday to make our feelings known.
"We’re not going to be rowdy and we’re not going to impede anyone from going in or out, but we have to stand up and be counted and not let this happen."
Save our Surgeries says it wrote in March seeking a meeting to discuss the Burghead and Hopeman closures, but received a reply saying the practice had nothing to add to discussions and the decision was with the Moray Integration Joint Board (IJB).
At a meeting in January the joint board stepped back from making a decision to close the surgeries permanently.
Instead it stated that better transport links were needed so patients could get to appointments in Lossiemouth.
At present it's a three-hour round trip on public transport to get to Lossiemouth from Burghead, with a change of buses required in Elgin.
Alternatively, the Moray Council dial-a-bus service can be booked the day before, but only runs between 10am and 2pm.
Group member Ness Tunggal who lives in Hopeman said: "It’s an utter shambles.
"Stagecoach has said the route is not viable and dial-a-bus is saying there’s not enough demand.
"But the fact is you can’t access it. People call up and are told they can’t do it. It’s frustrating.
"Scottish Government health policy is all about providing health care close to communities.
"So if Moray Coast Medical Practice don't want to come to us, we'll go to them."
A spokesperson for Health and Social Care Moray stated that they greatly value discussions held with community members and acknowledge their concerns.
They added the practice had spent time with the community throughout the public engagement and consultation process.
The spokesperson continued: "The branch surgeries do not have enough space to accommodate room sizes to meet current health care regulations, and for the modern, multi-disciplinary team working needed in the practices today.
"Patients often had to have a second appointment in Lossiemouth to meet their needs previously and the practice is keen to provide equitable, sustainable care to all its patients.
"Remaining in one building as one team allows for staff to work most effectively for all on any given day.
"Working from one location also supports a community-based approach where housebound patients are seen as a priority, community pharmacies, clinics and groups are supported to extend local services and digital technology can provide convenient additional options for patients.
"We are working with transport agencies to improve access to appointments for those who do not have or cannot access a vehicle.
"We are continuing to work with the local community on developing this community-based approach."
A consultation last year on the future of the branch surgeries attracted more than 650 responses, with 75% of people saying they were against them shutting for good.
The Moray Coast Medical Practice has around 10,200 patients in total.
A £170,000 refurbishment of the Laich Dental Suite at the Lossiemouth health centre is proposed to deal with the extra patients from the branch surgeries.
It's been estimated it would take £116,000 to upgrade the Burghead premises and £142,000 to fix issues at Hopeman – not including VAT.
The two branch surgeries used to operate on a part-time basis, seeing a combined total of 114 patients a week.
About 37% of patients from the coastal communities are already registered with the Maryhill practice in Elgin. However this is now at capacity.
A chartered bus will leave Burghead at 9.45am on Tuesday, April 11, travelling through Cummingston and Hopeman, before arriving at the practice in Lossiemouth at 10.30am.
